Strasbourg, 15.09.2011 - A delegation of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) visited Sweden from 5 to 9 September 2011 as the first step in the preparation of a monitoring report. During its visit, ECRI┤s delegation gathered information on the implementation of the recommendations it made to the authorities in its previous report in 2005 and discussed new issues that have emerged since.

The delegation held meetings in Stockholm and Malm÷ with representatives of all relevant ministries and other competent authorities, national human rights structures and NGOs.

Following this visit, ECRI will adopt a report in which it will make a fresh set of recommendations on measures to be taken by the authorities to address racism, racial discrimination (i.e. discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion and language), xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance in the country. Among these, three will be revisited two years after the publication of the report as part of an interim follow-up procedure.

In its 2005 report, ECRI recommended that the authorities fine-tune existing criminal and civil law provisions to ensure that they constitute effective tools against racist expression, racist organisations, racially motivated crime and racial discrimination; that they consider, along with measures to improve the living conditions of persons living in areas predominantly inhabited by persons of immigrant origin, measures to actually de-segregate these areas; and give priority attention to discrimination in employment.

ECRI is a human rights body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts, which monitors problems of racism, discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion and language, as well as xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance, prepares reports and issues recommendations to member States. For more information on ECRI: www.coe.int/ecri